Bengaluru Rains: IT City Drowns, Comes to Halt - 3 Dead, 500 Homes Affected

Bengaluru faced severe chaos after a relentless 130mm downpour over 12 hours from Sunday evening to Monday morning, leaving a trail of destruction across the city. Three people lost their lives, over 500 homes were flooded, and more than 20 lakes neared overflow levels. Major roads turned into rivers, underpasses were shut, and public transport came to a grinding halt.

The heavy rains were caused by the convergence of two low-pressure systems, triggering intense thunderstorms mainly across the south, north, and eastern parts of the city. According to the IMD, more rain is expected in the coming five days.

Two tragic deaths occurred at Madhuvana Apartment in BTM Layout 2nd Stage, where Manmohan Kamath (63) and Dinesh (12) were electrocuted while trying to pump out floodwater. In Whitefield, Shashikala D (32), a housekeeping worker, died after a compound wall collapsed. CM Siddaramaiah has announced ₹5 lakh compensation for her family.

Localities like Kengeri (132mm), Vaderahalli (131mm), and Chikkabanavara (127mm) recorded rainfall far exceeding the city’s 70mm drainage capacity. Central areas, including Koramangala, Marathahalli, and HAL Airport, also crossed 90mm. In Yelahanka, 20 out of 29 lakes reached full capacity, while the Central Silk Board junction was flooded.

Water entered homes in Kote Layout, RR Nagar, and Mahadevapura. Streets in Richmond Town, Double Road, and Shantinagar were submerged, disabling movement and leaving vehicles adrift. The BMTC depot at Shantinagar was flooded, halting bus services, while floodwater entered the Central Crime Branch office, damaging records.

BBMP deployed rescue teams with boats, JCBs, fire tenders, and relief workers in affected zones. BBMP chief commissioner Maheshwar Rao called it the city’s second-highest rainfall in a decade, admitting, “Sometimes, things get out of hand.”

Prahalad BS, BBMP's engineer-in-chief, blamed outdated stormwater systems built for 40-70mm rainfall. “Rapid urbanisation without parallel drainage upgrades is the root cause,” he said, warning that Bengaluru must adapt to climate change with real-time rainfall metrics.

The city remains on alert as authorities brace for more rain.